The latest 85th Legislative Session news from The Texas Tribune.
Singers and actors including Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper and Alicia Keys have signed onto an open letter asking Texas lawmakers to reject Senate Bill 6 and other anti-LGBT legislation recently filed at the state legislature. Full Story
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After Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton insisted in a letter last week that Texas' anti-"sanctuary cities" bill would survive a legal challenge, immigration attorneys are trying to convince members of the Legislature that he's wrong. Full Story
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After her father raped her, Jean became one of the roughly 12,000 Texas kids in long-term foster care, a system that often leaves children more damaged than when they arrive. For Jean, selling sex seemed like a safer bet. Full Story
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Budget writers in the Texas House are considering tapping the state's savings account because they have a lot less money at their discretion this session. Full Story
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More than a year after Texas voters approved routing billions in state sales taxes to roads and bridges, some lawmakers are questioning whether the first payment of $5 billion should move forward as planned. Full Story
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Texas leaders have publicly battled sex trafficking for more than a decade, but they’ve devoted hardly any resources to helping victims. Full Story
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Sen. Konni Burton's Senate career has been marked by a willingness to go her own way. Full Story
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Texas representatives have filed legislation to start an overhaul of the the state’s Child Protective Services, following a crisis that has left thousands of kids at risk. Full Story
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An NFL spokesman on Friday said "discriminatory" proposals signed into law would be taken into consideration in awarding future events. Full Story
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As we examine school choice proposals before the Legislature, The Texas Tribune wants to hear directly from families who would be affected by changing state and national policies. Full Story
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Two of Gov. Greg Abbott's emergency items are already moving swiftly through the Texas Capitol. Full Story
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Most of the members of the Texas Legislature are white men — and so are the committee chairs. Full Story
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Last week, state Sen. Larry Taylor filed the leading school choice bill of the legislative session. But what would Senate Bill 3 actually do? We've annotated the text to explain in plain English how the bill would impact Texas families. Full Story
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While Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick huddled with pastors at an Austin church Thursday to discuss the proposed "bathroom bill," other religious leaders organized at another church nearby to decry it as discriminatory. Full Story
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Multiple bills filed in the Texas Legislature are seeking to give certain Texas nurses independence from costly contracts with supervising physicians. Full Story
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Texas Democrats and abortion rights advocates are strategizing amid mounting worries over what the GOP-led Legislature and federal lawmakers may do in the coming months to further restrict access to the procedure. Full Story
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State Rep. John Zerwas is the Texas House's new Appropriations Committee chairman, and Rep. Dan Huberty is the new chairman of the House Public Education Committee. Full Story
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The Texas Legislature is having a hard time with the "bathroom bill." The Senate is trying to pull together the votes, and the House is trying to find some motivation. Both are waiting to see what the governor thinks. Full Story
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The Texas Senate approved three new University of Texas System regents, even though some Democrats complained about the board's lack of diversity. Full Story
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The Republican-controlled Texas Senate gave its final stamp of approval on Wednesday to a controversial bill that would gut funding from local and state entities that don’t enforce immigration laws. Full Story
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